Michael Jackson's last event, today at the Staples Center in LA

July 7, 9:30 AMChristian Living ExaminerJoanne Brokaw

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Today the world bids farewell to Michael Jackson, the undisputed king of pop. In the media circus that was typical of his life, his send-off at the Staples Center has more of a tour kick off than a funeral memorial. (The Ringling Bros. circus opens on Wednesday, so before the memorial service, circus elephants will walk from the train station to the arena; not planned but I think Jackson would have approved.) In addition to the 17,000 people inside the arena in downtown LA, 50 theaters across the US will broadcast the event live, and more media outlets will show the video footage online.

News footage last night showed people picking up their tickets, looking joyous at the prospect of being allowed one last show with Jackson, while behind the scenes legal battles continue and a man's sad, troubled life is contemplated by friends and family.

In the celebrity-soaked pop culture we live in, fans all too often look at celebrities on screen or stage and feel like they know them personally. They read about them in magazines and watch news clips, and assume that they've seen and heard everything there is to see and hear about the star. They're our best friends.

But as fans get ready to partake in one last media to-do, it's worth taking a moment to consider the reality: we really know nothing about Michael Jackson.

We know what we're shown on TV and read in Rolling Stone or People magazines, but the sad truth is that you can't sum up a life in a two minute news bite or a 1,000 word magazine article.

Talking to people who actually did know Jackson, who spent time with him and were there for important moments in his life (good and bad), I'm reminded that Michael Jackson was a man just like any other man, with his good qualities and bad, who got up every day and put his pants on one leg at a time. A man who had children he loved, children he helped with homework, children with tears he dried and dreams he listened to. A man who had family who used him, and friends who loved him and tried to help him but were rebuffed. A man with legal problems and financial problems and more than a few other personal problems. A man who struggled with his own demons, who was lonely and troubled and yet put on a public smile as he went to work every day.

In other words, Michael Jackson was kind of like the guy next door, but with flashier clothes and a lot more security.

It's important to remember as we eulogize Michael Jackson and remember his contributions to pop music, that there are Michael Jacksons all around us. As a Christian, it's important to reach out to our neighbors, to pray for them, to lend a hand, to be a friend.

To recognize the lonely, the troubled, the downtrodden, and to take time to look behind the public façade and really get to know the people around us. Michael Jackson is everywhere you look.

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